North Melbourne’s controversial decision to axe club stars Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie, Nick Dal Santo and Michael Firrito, as well as the loss of star midfielder Daniel Wells to Collingwood via free agency, robbed it of 1588 games of experience.

By all reports Ange Postecoglou is set to step down as the Socceroos boss after the final World Cup play-off with Honduras. He is apparently frustrated by the continual criticism his tactics and selections receive in the media.

In an extraordinary trade period move, Lachie Weller is now a Gold Coast Sun. A last-minute move, driven by the player and completed by the fledgeling Queensland side, saw the Suns part with the prized second pick in the 2017 national draft.

Jurgen Klopp’s influence over Liverpool was much more pronounced last season. The Reds played some incredible football, particularly from September through December, and were considered title challengers for most of the season.

The 2016 AFL home-and-away season produced many highs and lows. There were classic matches, some fantastic football, and of course, more human drama and raw emotion, which underpins why the AFL is still the most popular sport in Australia.

Great things were expected of Collingwood this year. Bringing in Adam Treloar, who rated their side as better than Richmond’s – who finished fifth – and with a list beginning to enter into its prime years, there were those who predicted the Magpies would run deep into September.

yeah mate, just gonna run through the top 10 in order of where i think they’ll finish, unless any mid table sides’ fans would like to give me enough info to make an accurate analysis of their situation

I actually think it is the unfairness of the game that makes it what it is. everyone’s got a chance, all the time. If every game went the way we thought it would, well, it’d be a very boring game indeed.

It is the outrage, frustration, agony and feeling of robbery which makes our game so dramatic and the victories and success so sweet

Mate this is some poorly educated shit right here. You don’t get to tell people who they are or where they come from. Goodes feels he is more Aboriginal, he is therefore more Aboriginal, full stop. That’s like telling someone their sexual orientation or not

(This is the author)
I actually really like the first half of your point. Of course I wouldn’t expect at least sections of 100,000 people not to boo Adam Goodes on Grand Final day (not that I believe the swans are a remote chance of making it). However, I do believe that that would fall more under “Understandable spirit of sport helping team to winning premiership” sort of category, rather than just booing his every possession for the sake of it. No one likes Collingwood, but I never saw fans booing Alan Didak, Heath Shaw, or any of the more controversial figures week in, week out. Even Jobe Watson subsided after a few.

I also agree that Adam has set himself up to be disliked. I don’t actually like him as a player. The way he plays the game is controversial, but there’s been several 350 game people who’ve played the game more controversially and have been applauded for their skill. I think the sheer weight of Goodes’ achievements absolutely need to be more recognised, in the same sense that a bloke should still respect a war veteran, even if they act like a cunt.

I disagree, however, that you say AFL is not a political game. While it isn’t your usual left-right bullshit, it does stand as a measure for equality and acceptance in society. Anyone can play, and should be all means be treated equal. Goodes sparks controversy because he feels he isn’t treated equally, and fans like yourself disagree, or agree in reverse. My point is entirely different, its that I don’t think people like yourself should provide a cover for racist and intolerant bigots to say what they think, unjudged.